FGTH ‘Inside The Pleasuredome’ deluxe box set

This is what the last post was all about, a project I’ve been working on for the last few months but feels like I’ve been working towards for over a decade. 10 years ago I actively started contacting and interviewing the people involved in the creation of the ZTT label’s artwork, starting with Paul Morley who I collaborated with on ‘Raiding the 20th Century’. Through the years after I met designers, illustrators and photographers who had all had hands in the late 80’s output of the label whilst collecting promo posters, magazine ads and in some cases original artwork and photos.

After starting my ArtofZTT site early last year and having been in contact with Ian Peel, responsible for the ongoing reissue series at the label, I was asked to collaborate with resident designer Philip Marshall on what would become the 30th anniversary of Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s ‘Welcome To The Pleasuredome’.

Now re-titled ‘Inside The Pleasuredome’ this deluxe box set is available to pre-order via Pledge Musicand will be released on the anniversary later this year at the end of October. The set will contain:
Re-mastered and redesigned original LP,
3 x 10″s of remixes, demos and alt. takes
a hardback Art of FGTH book with sleeve art, adverts, ultra rare promo posters, LP prelims and making of interviews
a cassette of multiple ‘Relax’ remixes with new artwork inside a card slipcase
a DVD with videos plus 5.1 audio from various singles and album tracks
3 x Prints of the original Lo Cole album artwork (with uncensored back cover image)
a digital only EP of instrumentals
a Pleasuredome TV ad flick book
a Tumbometer (fans will know what this is)
6 x cards with download codes for the remastered LP, the 3 10″s, the cassette and the digital EP

I’ll be sharing photos here during the pledge period of 65 days, I’d love to post it all now but there will be a slow roll out as items are unveiled to people who pre-order . Once the order / pledge period is up no more orders will be taken and once /if the target it reached that will be the extent of the number of sets made. Of the 10 ‘elements’ contained inside the box, half of them will be exclusive including the art book and 10″ featuring ‘Slave…’ It has already made a quarter of the target less than a day after going online but there’s still a way to go. You can pre-order here but once that window is closed that will be your only chance, the box set won’t be sold in shops.

5 thoughts on “FGTH ‘Inside The Pleasuredome’ deluxe box set”

Thanks Rob – I’m only a part of the team here but having had a tiny part here and there in past Frankie repackages I can assure you that there’s no ‘cynical exploitation’ intended although I’m sure the band would have it otherwise.
‘Fur Oil’ – glad you like it, I’m not surprised by online griping no, it’s the internet, everyone moans and you can’t please everyone. With this I tried to please the fan in me as much as anyone else – would I, as a Frankie fan of 30 years, buy this? Absolutely. There are all sorts of details and niceties that people will get when they see the full thing that will make it a worthy addition to the collection.
I’m only a little dismayed by some fans’ conservatism, not buying it because it doesn’t include a CD version. ZTT have released over 30 CDs in the last 5 years and digital download versions of all the content and more will be included in the box, maybe that’s not clear to them? Their loss is all I’ll say because once the pledge time is up then it’ll be eBay at inflated prices if they change their mind.
Yes Blank & Jones have had a backlash but I believe they came at their project in exactly the same way as I did here and they made the best post-80’s mix collection so far even if it didn’t please everyone. They had stiff competition with the originals which will never be bettered but they blew all the other official remixes out the water and gave us many extra sonic treats in the package at the same time.

All my other intended music purchases for this & next month have been put on hold so I can buy it. Not saying that’s a bad thing, as I’m extremely excited about it. Plus you’ll be pleased to hear the quadruple vinyl Search Engine is now on my ‘to buy’ list.

You’ve obviously put a lot of time and effort already in to this, and must be excited to see it happen. Are you surprised at the amount of online griping about about content & formats, which seems to have overshadowed what a fabulous thing to behold this will be?

Blank & Jones also seem to have suffered some backlash for their So80s FGTH project, which must be disheartening. If I’d have curated such a project as grand as either and put it out there for the world to enjoy, i’d have expected a little more enthusiasm.